Dropped cigarette butt costs Bedford man £560

A litterer who was seen by a Bedford Borough Council Enforcement Officer throwing litter out of his car window has been found guilty of a littering offence and fined.

Mieczyslaw Gil, of Clapham Road, Bedford, was seen dropping and leaving a cigarette butt in Bedford town, which is Contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

DVLA enquiries made by council officers confirmed the vehicle seen was registered to Mr Gil. Checks made of council records found that Mr Gil had previously been prosecuted by Bedford Borough Council for littering in a separate case in April 2013.

On being convicted at Luton Magistrates Court on Friday 10 April 2015, Gil - who failed to attend - was fined £200 and ordered to pay both a £20 victim surcharge and £340 towards legal costs.

A Bedford Borough Council spokesperson said: “This case is particularly disappointing, as Mr Gil had previously been cautioned and then prosecuted for littering in Bedford town. Bedford Borough Council seeks to educate people about littering and instil a sense of pride in our Borough so that litter is not left on our streets.

“The fact that Mr Gil showed such little remorse about littering and even continued to do so after a previous conviction demonstrates that his prosecution and consequent fine were absolutely warranted.

“Bedford Borough Council is committed to tackling environmental offences that negatively affect our borough such as fly-tipping (dumping), littering, dog fouling, graffiti and flyposting as part of the borough wide ‘Why Would You?’ campaign.”

To report an environmental crime being committed and wish to report it, you can do so by visiting www.bedford.gov.uk under ‘Enviro Crime’, by emailing environmentalhelpdesk@bedford.gov.uk or calling the Environmental Services Helpdesk on 01234 718060.